RealGM Wiretap

Damian Lillard Hits 37-Foot Buzzer-Beater To Win Series

Apr 24, 2019 4:39 AM

The Portland Trail Blazers closed out the Oklahoma City Thunder with a 118-115 win in game 5 after Damian Lillard hit a 37-foot shot at the buzzer. Lillard finished with 50 points, while hitting 10-18 from 3 in the game.

Lillard is shooting 8-12 from 30-plus feet, according to Second Spectrum.

"I didn't want to put it into the referee hands. Where if there was contact or maybe they get away with contact or I end up having to take a tougher shot because there was contact and they don't want to decide the game. So I was standing there looking at the rim and I was like this is a comfortable range," said Lillard on his game-winner.

Lillard added that his 50-point performance was "probably" the best game he's ever played.

"There's been a lot of back and forth, a lot of talk and all this stuff, and that was the last word. That was having the last word," added Lillard.

Paul George, who was defending Lillard on the final possession, said Lillard took a bad shot.

"That's a bad, bad shot. I don't care what anybody says. That's a bad shot. But hey, he made it. That story won't be told that it was a bad shot. We live with that," said George.